


we pick ourselves undone

by ginnydear



Category: Love Simon (2018), Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Spierfeld Week, this is just... CUTE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14308179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnydear/pseuds/ginnydear
Summary: simon and bram, and the little things their friends see.spierfeld week, day five.





	we pick ourselves undone

**Author's Note:**

> this is a cute and simple one, a concept piece i really enjoy. i've written pieces like this before and they're always my favorite. 
> 
> as ALWAYS, shoutout to [caitlin](http://ginnyweaslays.tumblr.com) for just, being awesome. 
> 
> title is from flaws by bastille.
> 
> edited 4/27 for minor errors.

**Leah.**

She’s sitting in Nick’s basement when the realization really hits her.

Abby and Nick are sitting in bean bags on the floor, playing a video game together. Leah’s been supplying helpful hints to Abby all afternoon, ensuring Abby’s win, much to Nick’s annoyance. Garrett’s sprawled out on his back on the sectional, his handheld up above his face as he plays something Nick let him borrow. He keeps sticking his tongue out of his mouth in concentration, and Leah’s positive he has no idea he’s doing it.

Bram and Simon are spread out on the loveseat, Simon’s legs up over Bram’s lap. They’ve been in the corner by themselves most of the afternoon, mostly quiet except for random loud laughs. Leah’s found herself watching them from time to time, the way Bram holds Simon’s hand like it’s fragile, the pink color that rises up on Simon’s pale cheeks, or the smiles that are perpetually on their faces.

It hits her when she catches part of their conversation above the sound of Nick and Abby speaking.

“My mom says it’s nice to see me smiling,” Bram says, in a voice that makes Leah wish she couldn’t hear them, and she tries to focus on Abby and Nick, but she hears Simon’s response anyway.

“It is nice - seeing you smiling,” Simon says, and when she looks at them, Simon’s taken Bram’s hand in both of his and is kissing his fingertips. Bram ducks his head, and Leah looks back down at Abby and Nick before they catch her looking.

She wishes she could interject, but then Bram speaks for her.

“It’s even better seeing you smile.”

Simon’s happy. That little nagging feeling in the back of her mind disappears as she’s really struck with the realization that Simon’s infinitely happier than she’s ever seen him. She’s seen him through phases and moods, and she’d felt him withdraw over the past couple years as he’d hidden his biggest secret.

But now, he’s smiling all the time. There’s a crinkle next to his eyes every time she sees him, because his eyes are smiling even when his mouth isn’t. He’s constantly keeping everyone on their toes with his quick wit and dry observations that he delivers right before he laughs to himself. He might guard himself a little more when he’s at school, but here in the privacy and secrecy of Nick’s basement, she hears him laugh a laugh she’s never heard before.

Later, as everyone climbs up the stairs when Nick’s mom calls that dinner’s ready, Leah loops her arm through Bram’s, ignoring the look Simon gives her, and smiles at him. She knows they should probably be closer, given he’s dating her best friend, but they rarely talk, and she’s decided to remedy that.

“So, have I ever told you the story of how Nick and Simon made me cry by shoving flour paste in my hair?” she asks, and Bram’s eyes light up as Simon yells at her from the top of the stairs. When she looks up at him, he’s shaking his head, but there’s a wide smile on his face.

**Abby.**

Abby prides herself on being fairly observant. She’s always able to tell when one of her friends is upset, and thinks she’s really good at picking up hints. So one day, when Nick remarks that he thinks Simon will be the one to do a corny prom-posal, she laughs in his face.

“Are you kidding me? Bram’s the romantic one,” she says, and he stares at her in confusion.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, and she just smiles. Because she’s observant, and she’s seen enough to know.

She knows that Bram saw the play three times. She saw him sitting there in the crowd, near the back, right next to Garrett. She knows that if they aren’t holding hands and are comfortable, Bram has one of his hands on Simon’s back, hips, sides. She’s seen him, on multiple occasions, pick up Simon’s hand and kiss his palm, knuckles, fingertips. She doesn’t even watch them more than she watches anyone else.

Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks after they start dating, and as everyone around them talks of over the top gestures and public displays of affection, she watches Simon close in on himself a little. And she gets it, because she knows they won’t be doing the things other couples (straight couples) will be doing. She doubts they’ll show they’re celebrating in any outward way at all.

Nick, Garrett, and Bram have an early morning soccer meeting that day, so it’s just Abby and Leah in the car with Simon on the way to school. Leah asks Simon about his morning, and he mentions that he woke up to “a million” good morning texts from Bram, and his face heats up. Abby smiles at Leah when they catch each other’s eyes.

Abby and Simon walk to their lockers together, moving through the sea of red hearts and couples making out in the hallway. Simon makes a face, and Abby can’t help but agree with him.

“So, what are you two doing for today?” she asks when they finally reach their lockers, working on opening the locks. Simon looks a little shy, but he’s smiling.

“Nora offered to make us dinner, because my parents are going out and she’s a romantic apparently, but I think it’s a ruse and Bram’s going to be the one cooking,” he says, and Abby raises an eyebrow at him.

“Why do you think that?” she asks as her locker pops open. A bunch of red construction paper is sitting on top of her books and she knows Nick’s shoved them there.

Simon doesn’t answer, because he’s opened his locker, and there, held up by his books, is bouquet of blue hydrangeas. Simon’s mouth is hanging open as he reaches in and pulls a piece of paper from around the stems, opening it carefully. She doesn’t try to look, but she watches his face as it turns a brilliant shade of pink, and he looks at her. He seems to shake himself before he speaks.

“What did you say?” he asks, and his voice is soft and filled with wonder. She smiles.

“Bram’s pretty romantic, huh?” she says instead of repeating herself, and the deeper blush and shy smile that crosses Simon’s face is all the answer she needs.

**Nick.**

Nick should’ve known, when Simon chugged that beer at the party.

He rationalizes later that it wasn't his secret to know, and he’s lucky to know it now, considering. But part of him thinks of that moment, watching his best friend of years, suddenly so ready to chug some beer, and he thinks that should’ve been so obvious.

Simon’s not that subtle of a person some days. Nick’s never surprised when he looks over to say something and finds Simon staring at Bram with those dopey eyes and soft smile. He’s even less surprised to see Bram with the same look on his face.

“Have we ever looked like that?” he asks Abby one day, and she elbows him in the side, hard.

“Leave them alone,” she replies, always very defensive of the two boys. Nick’s the same way, but he thinks she’s taking it a bit far to snap at him over it.

Nick's used to having Simon, Leah, and Abby in the crowd for his soccer games. But when Simon and Bram became a thing, suddenly, Simon's all moon-eyed and soft smiles, and Bram gets yelled at more than once for messing up a few kicks. When the game’s over and Nick’s following Bram out of the locker room after their showers, he sees Simon’s face light up when Bram comes into view. It’s like looking at the sun, and Nick has to look away.

Later, as they’re all sitting around the table at WaHo, Bram gets up to use the bathroom, skirting away quietly as they continue their lively debate about… something, Nick’s not really listening. He’s watching Simon, the way his eyes follow Bram as he disappears out of view. When Bram’s all the way gone, Simon looks down at his hands and smiles, his bottom lip stuck between his teeth.

“Could you swoon any harder?” Nick teases softly, just for Simon to hear, and he looks up at Nick quickly, his lip coming out from between his teeth.

“Shut up, Eisner,” he says as he laughs.

When Bram walks back over a few moments later, Nick smiles. He’ll take swooning Simon over depressed Simon any day of the week.

**Garrett.**

“So, it’s like, love, huh?”

Garrett’s spent too many lunches watching Bram pine over Simon to not ask the question. Garrett’s had to sit back and wait for Bram to finally come out on his own, even if Garrett already knew. There was no way someone looked at anyone the way Bram looked at Simon on a daily basis and didn’t develop feelings.

“What?” Bram sputters beside him, and he feels a little vindicated. Bram’s coughing out the mouthful of water he’d just ingested, his arms going above his head as he hacks. Garrett waits until he’s quiet to press onward.

“You and Simon. It’s love, huh?” he says, and Bram looks down at the grass they’re sitting on, out in the open of the neighborhood park’s field. Bram looks around on instinct and settles when he realizes the park has pretty much cleared out.

“I don’t know,” Bram says quietly, and Garrett reaches over to cuff his shoulder. Bram looks up at him in indignation.

“You do, but you don’t have to tell me. It’s just… nice, to see you relaxed,” Garrett says, and Bram ducks his head again.

They’re at school when either of them brings up the subject again. Bram opens his locker on Friday and Garrett catches his eyebrows coming together out of the corner of his eye. He looks around the metal door and sees a little envelope sitting on top of Bram’s neatly organized books.

“Oh, I wonder who that’s from?” Garrett asks rhetorically, and Bram rolls his eyes at him.

“Shut up,” he says in return, carefully opening the envelope. There’s a folded up piece of binder paper inside, and Bram leans all the way into his locker to read it. Garrett watches in amusement as Bram’s shoulders relax as he reads, his posture slipping slightly.

Bram’s still for a moment, and Garrett shuts his locker to get his attention. Bram comes out of the locker, a dopey smile on his face.

“I thought you were the romantic one,” he says, and Bram snaps out of it to tilt his head.

“Who says that?” he asks, amused, and Garrett can see the curious glint in Bram’s eyes.

“People.”

Bram carefully folds the paper back up, and Garrett watches in amusement as Bram pulls out his wallet and sticks it in the billfold. He grabs the books he needs and then slams his locker shut, that dopey smile returning to his face. Bram starts to walk towards English and Garrett follows.

“You know, I think you were right,” Bram says after a moment, the crowd in the hallways thinning as they get closer to the start of class.

“About what?” Garrett asks, curious as to what’s running through Bram’s mind and making him smile like that.

He’s watching Bram’s face as they walk, but he knows the exact moment Simon’s in view, because every line on Bram’s face softens, and Garrett feels like he’s seeing something private. He looks away and sees Simon up ahead, wearing the exact same expression Bram is.

“Love,” Bram says softly, and Garrett stops walking as Bram walks over to Simon, their personal space diminishing as they stand close. They don’t kiss, or hug, but Garrett sees their hands brush together, and their postures are relaxed, and it’s all the confirmation Garrett needs that he’s right.

 

**Author's Note:**

> short, simple, to the point. feedback is always appreciated.


End file.
